Podcast Summary: "Saxophonist Alison Shearer Performs Live"

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Alison Shearer (saxophonist, composer)
Date: October 24, 2025

Episode Overview

In this vibrant episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart welcomes New York-based saxophonist and composer Alison Shearer for an in-studio performance and a revealing conversation. The episode centers on Shearer's newly released second album, In the Garden, offering listeners a blend of live music, creative insights, and stories of artistic evolution and family legacy. The tone is warm, engaging, and ripe with the cultural enthusiasm emblematic of New York City.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Live Performance and Musical Inspiration

• Opening and Live Performance
  • Alison Shearer kicks off the session with a live performance of “Liberty Market,” accompanied by her quartet (01:11–05:39).
  • She describes the song as being inspired by a marketplace she visited in Lahore, Pakistan (00:56).

“Liberty Market is the opening track off of In the Garden. It gets its name from a marketplace that I visited while on tour in Pakistan, in Lahore. So this is inspired by that place.”
— Alison Shearer (00:56)

2. Musical Journey and Instruments

• On Musical Beginnings and Instrument Choice
  • Shearer started with recorder and flute in elementary school, later discovering jazz at 13, and then picked up saxophones (06:20).
  • She recalls her first jazz record, My Favorite Things by John Coltrane, as transformative (06:20–06:44).

“I picked up the flute in elementary school, started playing classical music primarily, and then when I was about 13, was introduced to jazz. My first record was My Favorite Things by the wonderful John Coltrane.”
— Alison Shearer (06:20)

• Realization and Career Decision
  • Shearer expresses gratitude for discovering her calling early and describes music as something that “chooses people” (06:48).

“I think music, I think it kind of chooses people sometimes... I think I’ve known since I was maybe 10.”
— Alison Shearer (06:48)

3. Composing and Creative Process

• Start of Composing
  • Composing wasn’t immediate; Shearer began writing music in college and became fully immersed in her late 20s (07:16).
• Comparison: Performing vs. Composing
  • Describes composing as a quest for something elusive, a companion activity to running during the pandemic, and distinct from the immediate nature of live performance (07:38–08:34).
• Handling Creative Blocks
  • Shearer emphasizes stepping away to gain perspective and describes the unpredictability of the writing process—some songs flow in an hour, others require wrestling (08:38–09:04).

4. Growth Between First and Second Albums

• Lessons from Album #1
  • Her debut, View from Above, was guest-laden; for her sophomore release, she wanted an intimate, cohesive sound with her quartet (09:16–10:04).
• Influences
  • Credits albums by drummer Nate Smith and Kean Harold for inspiring her conceptual approach to album structure.

“With this record, I really wanted to go inside and just feature the quartet.”
— Alison Shearer (09:47)

5. Second Live Performance: “In the Garden”

• Features an improvised bass intro by bandmate Marty Kenny (10:09–14:09).

6. Recording Process

• Why Record Live to Tape?
  • Shares the unique opportunity to record live to tape thanks to Scott Linder and Pinch Records, calling it a rare and energizing process (14:38–15:14).

“I don’t think I ever could have afforded to do a week live to tape. But we got that opportunity, and why not take it?”
— Alison Shearer (14:43)

7. Sound Choices: Acoustic vs. Electric

• Emotional Core Dictates Sound
  • Shearer lets emotional tone and groove of the song determine instrumentation rather than a strict divide between acoustic and electric (15:30–16:09).

“Every song comes from a very specific emotional place, and a lot of it’s groove oriented.”
— Alison Shearer (15:30)

8. Teaching and Musical Education

• Teaching Philosophy
  • Shearer teaches middle and high school students, enjoying the formative phase when teenagers “become themselves” (16:16–16:42).
  • Discusses adapting teaching based on age groups, channeling the abundant energy of young students (16:45–17:07).

9. Flute and Influences

• Flute Heroes
  • Names Hubert Laws and James Galway as major inspirations; expresses fascination with Indian music and Bansuri flute tradition (17:12–17:45).

10. Family Legacy and Artistic Heritage

• John Shear: A Pioneering Photographer
  • Alison’s father, John Shear, was the second Black staff photographer at Look Magazine after Gordon Parks and captured the iconic JFK Jr. funeral photo (17:52–18:55).
  • Unique backstory: John Shear won a Scholastic Photo Competition, which led to professional opportunities at a young age.

“When my dad was... Gordon Parks was a mentor. And when he was a young teenager, he entered the Scholastic Photo Competition. And it was blind adjudication. And he won first, second, and third in every category, which was kind of unheard of.”
— Alison Shearer (18:08)

11. Third Live Performance: “Treehouse”

• The final performance of the episode features Shearer on flute (19:14–24:02).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Relationship Between Composing and Running:

  “That relationship between writing music, exporting a MIDI file, listening and running, I fell in love with that relationship.”
  — Alison Shearer (07:58)

• On Teaching Young Students:

  “If they're really, like, rowdy, I get them... ‘If you can just sit through the next 10 minutes, then you guys can battle each other.’ And that kind of channeling the energy that way is helpful.”
  — Alison Shearer (16:49)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Introduction & “Liberty Market” Performance: 00:09–05:39
• Influences and Early Musical Journey: 06:16–06:44
• On Deciding to Become a Musician: 06:44–06:48
• Composing, Creative Process, and Stuck Moments: 07:13–09:04
• Growth Between First and Second Albums: 09:11–10:04
• “In the Garden” Performance: 10:09–14:09
• Recording Live to Tape: 14:38–15:14
• Choosing Instrumentation: 15:14–16:09
• Teaching: 16:10–17:07
• Flute and Classical/Jazz Influences: 17:12–17:45
• Family Photography Legacy: 17:52–18:55
• Third Live Performance (“Treehouse”): 19:14–24:02

Final Notes

This episode is a lively, insightful, and musical exploration of Alison Shearer's creative world. From her eclectic inspirations in jazz and world music to her commitment to education and the rich cultural influence of her family, Shearer offers listeners both vibrant performances and engaging stories. The conversation feels uniquely New York—layered with artistic dedication, open curiosity, and the energy of live music.